Gotta love a good ridge hike. No namby-pamby switchbacks here; you're rawdogging the elevation changes both ways to Sunday. 

Highlights of the trail include Sunrise Mountain and its little enclaves of meadow clearings and side tracks, as well as peekaboo views of Evergreen Mountain and its lookout to the NW across Meadow Creek valley. Craggy, isolated Mt Fernow to the immediate south is a constant companion for most of the way. Unfortunately, while the weather overall treated us kindly, smoke rolling in from fires in Oregon and Idaho put a gauzy haze over what would be otherwise spectacular sightings of Columbia, Kyes, Sloan, David, and Glacier Peaks. 

At Scorpion itself the views open up even more and, despite the limited visibility, we still got an eyeful of peaks far & wide reaching farther into the Cascades, including nearby McCausland and Lichtenberg, as well as erstwhile Cowboy & Big Chief looming over Stevens Pass. 

Hiked with gabep. We encountered only 3-4 other groups of hikers the entire time. This may well be (dare I say it?) an overlooked gem; will definitely need to revisit on a clearer day. 

Gaia GPS track here. 

Gorgeous hike. Probably the best and most variable vegetation I have seen. Day was mostly cloudy but totally worth it without the clear day views. Road to the trailhead (NF-6520) was pretty good. The last two miles had some bigger potholes. Definitely not advisable for a low/regular clearance vehicle.

What a gem of a trail! Remarkably uncrowded - we arrived around 8 am on a Saturday and there were only 2 cars in the lot. By the time we got back to our car around noon, there were maybe 6. Good news, because it's a pretty small lot. The road up to the trailhead is gravel but in remarkably good shape - about 3/4 of it has recently been re-graveled and it was honestly one of the best gravel roads we've been on. I'd still want a higher clearance vehicle for some of the later portions with potholes/rocks, but with careful driving it's totally passable. 

The trail itself is in pretty good shape. Some narrow/slightly overgrown parts, but nothing impassible - just some bushes/brush to scrape your legs. It alternates between nice flat segments through forest and some VERY steep segments of soft dirt/rocks, where poles are definitely appreciated. No manmade steps or switchbacks to help with elevation gain/descents, so you definitely get a workout in, but it's easily doable and enjoyable for hikers with a decent level of fitness/experience. 

Near the end, the ridge line/meadows are spectacular. Still a few wildflowers in bloom, and the views are incredible. A LOT of reward relative to the amount of effort required to get there. Beware though, the bugs are pretty rough this time of year. We had flies buzzing in our ears for most of the way, and came home with some wicked mosquito bites, despite spray!

I offer a couple notes about this fine but apparently rarely visited trail.

At the end of paved Road 65, the signage is confusing.  The sign appears to point straight ahead for NF-6520, which is misleading. Make the sharp right as the WTA describes, which will put you on the correct NF-6520. Don't go onto NF-6530.

For most of the unpaved section, the road has been newly graveled and graded, a very enjoyable experience.  The last half mile or so is a bit rough and potholed.

We saw no sign of a cougar or anything more threatening than a squirrel.

Details below, but want to highlight that we encountered VERY fresh cougar scat in the middle of the trail about 2.5 miles into this hike. No other signs or issues, but be aware.

This is a beautiful trail in superb condition. The road getting up was in great shape. Single lane, a few large potholes, but navigable. Fresh gravel has recently been laid in a few places and it is very thick and loose right now, so depending on your vehicle, be mindful and go slowly (should be doing this anyway, lots of single-lane corners with no to low visibility). We had no issues in a Prius. Got to the TH around 8:30 on a beautiful Saturday and there were only three cars in the small pullout lot (I'm a terrible judge of how many cars will fit in a given space, but there was still plenty of parking). As others have said, be aware that there are no restroom facilities at the TH. 

The trail had a variety of treads; sandy/gravely with chunky rock, hard dirt, pine needle duff, but all in great condition and manageable with care. It is definitely a ridgeline trail and it follows the ridgeline, so you go up and down with the ridge and switchbacks are a luxury not frequently seen. Much of it is very soft up and down or flat, but where elevation changes it does so very rapidly and can get quite steep (10-20% grade). Surprisingly little exposure until the last mile or so, but still intermittent great views through the trees.

The elevation work is very worth it once you start to pop in and out of the meadows around three miles in. Shortly after, you'll hit the top of the ridgeline with meadows descending on both sides and it is truly glorious. Bugs were surprisingly bad on the summit, with little wind to control them. If it came from a different direction, things may have been different. Joan Lake looked lovely but we didn't have time to drop down and explore.

About 2.5 miles into this hike we encountered VERY fresh cougar scat in the middle of the trail. We had just taken a 15 minute snack break a few hundred feet down the trail and, given the change and drying seen on our return trip, it seems totally possible that our feline friend passed through while we were snacking. No other sign whatsoever; if kitty saw us we certainly (and unsurprisingly) did not see it. If you head up there, be prepared, careful, aware, and respectful. We encountered about six other people on the trail over the course of the day, so it was quiet but we weren't totally alone.

And requisite reminder that these subalpine ecosystems are incredibly fragile. Stay on established trails and leave no trace. Wonderfully, we didn't see much evidence that folks weren't doing that here.